Rhode Island is one of the states that does not have a single central online state repository for searching historical newspapers, nor do they use the Library of Congress Chronicling America site as their main site for searching old newspapers. There are some free online newspapers on other sites and collections available on subscription sites. Below is a list of where the titles are stored and the link so that you can access them.

There are about 750 newspapers that have been published in the Ocean State - certainly not all of them are searchable online. But there are several that are indeed available. So go for it - find your Rhode Island ancestors and all the interesting articles that capture the stories of their lives.

Please note that I have not always entered the dates that are included in the collections, as I suspect they will change as more items are digitized. Also I suspect that some of these links may change over time - so if there is a dead link - please use your favorite search engine to find their new location.

You also need to visit the Rhode Island Historical Society site, which can tell you what is occurring in the state with regard to newspaper projects. The Brown University and Providence College libraries are also good sites to visit.

Please note - even more may be available via a local library where a library card is required. And of course there is always microfilm for those that have not been made available online as yet.

Good luck and happy hunting!

For more links for different states, provinces, and countries - please see the Newspapers! page on this website.